House number



May 13 i924.

. G. T. sl-IEARER nous@ NUMBEL;

Fatented May i3, i924. Y' I STATES GEORGE 'I'. SHEARER, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

` HOUSE NUMBER.

Application filed .Tune 18, 1928.

To all Lv/tom z'z may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. SHEARER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in House Numbers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesbroadly to art numbers for homes, and more particularly to house boxes for displaying residencenumbers or occupants names which may be observed at all times.

One of the objects of my invention is to `provide a construction of house numbers which will be clearly visible both at night and during the day.

Another object of my invention is to provide an artistic arrangement for house numbers in a compact construction which is readily attachable to the house and which provides an artistic and ornamental fixture during the day in addition to the house numbers, and after dark provides illuminated art iigures and letters presenting both an ornamental appearance and performing a. useful function.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of illuminated art num-- bers and letters for houses employing cathedral, or art glass over the numbers and letters in such manner that illuminatin means in the rear of the art glass is focused through a diffusing medium, and means carrying the house numbers and letters so arranged that the cathedral or art glass clearly shows up the house numbers which, without illumination in the rear of said cathedral, or art glass would not be visible.

Y Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of combined day and night numbers and letters for houses with means whereby the numbers may be changed at will to adapt the box for installation on different homes requiring dierent numbers or having occupants of diiferent names.

@ther and further objects of 'my invention will be understood by reference to the following specication and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of my combined day and night house number box illustrating the cathedral, or art glass panel with the interior of the box illuminated and the numbers clearly visible through the cathedral or art glass; Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view of my house number box illus- Serial No. 645,979.

4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the means for latching the night number panel in place; and Fig. 5 is a front elevation illustrating the ornamental appearance which the night number panel presents during the day when the box isnot illuminated.

Heretofore when endeavoring to locate the number of a particular house in a group of houses, great diiiculty has been experienced by reason of the non-visibility of the house numbers after dark. These numbers are normally mounted on a wooden frame of a doorway or upon a solid wall, and, therefore, practically hidden from view at night, and the location of a particular number is not only diiicult but very inconvenient and often alfords embarrassment by mistakes in the identity of a particular number.

By my invention I provide means which is readily mounted on the side of a porch, over a doorway, on a wall, or adjacent the frame of a door, which will provide numbers and letters visible both during the day and after dark and will present at all times an ornamental and artistic appearance and linish for the house. The construction is such that the numbers and names are readily changeable to provide for such contingencies as removal from one house to another with a corresponding change in numbers and names or for the supplying of the combination boxes to many dierent houses of different numbers.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference character 1 indicates the combined day and night number box provided with a rear wall 2 forming an artistic bracket, apertured, as represented at 5, to enable the box to be secured to a supporting surface. The box is substantially supported with respect to the rear wall by ornamental bracket members 3 and 4 at each side of the box. The construction of the box, side members, and rear wall, is such that the entire assembly is capable of inexpensive manufacture either in the form of a casting or by stamping the parts -from sheet metal or by other means producing a unit assen'ibly capable of manufacture on a quantity production basis at reasonable cost. I provide a frame 6 adjacent the wall 2 into which the day number panel 7 bearing the day numbers 8 may be slipped and supported. This panel may be readily changed for another panel bearing different numbers, and individual numbers may be mounted in the guideway or frame 6 and independently rearranged toprovide the desired sequence o numbers. The individual figures may be arranged in the proper sequence by spacing and centered by individual blank spacing panels where desired or letters may be used. The top of the box 1 is provided with a sliding door member 10 which may be re-I moved from the top of the box by withdraw ing it from guideway 9 toi gain access to the interior of the box from the top in addition to the access which is had from the front of the box when the night number frame 14 is removed by Sliding the frame from the end 12 of the box 1.

The frame 14 carries the cathedral, or art glass panel `front 18 which presents a highly ornamental appearance. Behind this cathedral glass panel I provide a light diffusing panel 15, and between these two panels I provide an opaque screen, panel, or series of panels, which may be slipped through the slot 27 in frame 14. This panel or screen, or series of panels are perforated in the form of numbers or letters as represented at 17. The sequence of letters-may be readily changed by removing panel 16 or the series of panels through slot 27 and replacing the removed numbers and letters with the desired numbers and letters;

The completely assembled night number panel may be, slipped into a grooved guideway E28 in the front of box 1 and latched by catch 19. An illuminating means, such as an incandescent lamp 21, is arranged in the interior of the box 1 and provided with a reflector 20. The lamp is supported in adapter 22 and connected in the electric lighting circuit through conductors Q3 which pass through the rear of box 1. The ends of the box 1 are provided with cathedral, opaque or art glass 26 supported in the ornamental frame 25 which adds to the nish of the fixture, increasing its harmony with the appearance of the house. In lieu of the type of lamp shown at 21 I may provide a tubular incandescent lamp within the box 1 having an extended rcilector behind the lamp in the lower corner of the box.

Normally, when the box 1 is not lighted, the ornamental or substantially opaque panel 18 has the appearance represented in Fig. 5. When the box 1 is illuminated the letters 17 in the panel or panels 16 are visible in the art glass as represented at 24. In installaka switch exterior of thc box.

Lamela tions where an electric lighting 'circuit is not available batteries may be positioned interior of the box and the circuit controlled by also be provided to prevent tampering with the removable frame 14.

liVhile I have described my invention in certain particular embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A house number box, comprising in combination a day number panel and a night number panel arranged in parallel vertical planes, said night number panel being spaced from said day number panel in a horizontal direction and positioned in front thereof and below the lower edge of said day number panel, said night number panel comprising a normally opaque ornamental glass member, a light diffusing panel mounted behind said ornamental panel, and a removable apertured number plate positioned between said panels, means for illuminating the interior of said box whereby light is directed through said ornamental panel and said night numbers become visible when said day numbers are substantially invisible.

2. A house number box, comprising in combination a box portion and an extended rear Wall portion, a day number panel and a night number panelsaid panels being mounted in parallel vertical planes one spaced from the other in a horizontal direction, said night number panel forming a removable slide in the front of said box portion and said day number panel being located directly adjacent said rear wall portion, said night number panel comprising an art glass member and normally invisible numbers, and said day number panel comprising normally visible numbers, and means in said box portion behind said night number panel for rendering said night numbers yvisible when said day numbers are substantially invisible.

3. A house number box, comprising in combination a box portion and an extended rear wall portion, a day number panel and a night number panel arranged in parallel vertical planes, said night number panel being spaced from said day number panel and positioned in front thereof in said box portion and below the lowery edge of said day number panel, said day number panel being mounted on said rear wall portion, ornamental side brackets supporting said box portion relative to said rear wall portion, said night number panel comprising a normally opaque ornamental glass member, a

A lock may light diffusing panel mounted behind said ornamental panel, and a removable apertured number plate positioned between .said panels, means for illuminating the interior of said box portion whereby light is directed through said ornamental panel and said night numbers become visible when said day numbers are substantially invisible.

4. A house number box, comprising in combination a box portion and an extended rear wall portion, means securing said box portion to said rear wall portion comprising a. pair of brackets, an ornamental glass section in three sides of said box portion, a removable frame carrying said ornamental glass section in one side thereof, a day number panel on said rear wall portion above said 'box portion and between said brackets, a night number panel carried in said removable frame behind said ornamental glass section, and illuminating means in said box portion whereby said night numbers may become visible when said day numbers are v substantially invisible.

GEORGE T. SHEARER. 

